1 John 4:11

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

(v11, NIV)

Love comes from God. In the sending of his son, he shows us his love for us. Since God loved us, we should love one another. This love is so amazing that it should burst in you a desire to do the same to others. To not love one another would be to prove that you never truly received it or were thankful for it. Furthermore, you displease him who gave you whatever you took for granted.

I am reminded of a parable Jesus told. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable of a servant who has a great debt to the king, but is shown mercy by his debtor. However, there is a servant who owes him money, but he is not merciful. When the king finds out how the servant was unmerciful to his fellow servant, he is outraged and it ends poorly for that servant.

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

(Matthew 18:32-34, NIV)

This passage is not talking about love. Instead it is talking about forgiveness and mercy. However, the servant was shown mercy and expected to show mercy. Similarly, God shows us love and we should show love to one another. Let us love one another.